PICTURE the scene: Tana Umaga has departed and Anton Oliver takes over the captaincy against Wales. New Zealand are two points behind with the clock counting down when they have a line-out just outside the Welsh 22.

What does Oliver order his jumpers to do? Dive out of it as though they are chasing an Oscar in the hope of conning the referee into awarding them a potentially match-winning penalty?

That's exactly the stunt the veteran hooker's father Frank Oliver and his acting buddy Andy Haden pulled during the latter stages of the controversial 1978 clash at Cardiff Arms Park.

Wales led 12-10 with minutes to go when the Kiwis put the contentious plan they had hatched up before the match into motion.

Haden dived out of the line-out while Oliver barged Wales lock Geoff Wheel and fell out of it, claiming he had been on the receiving end of a push.

Their soccer-type theatrics were enough to convince English referee Roger Quittenton into giving them a penalty, which replacement full-back Brian McKechnie kicked to steal a 13-12 victory.

Haden subsequently admitted it was a premeditated move and the match went down in history for its line-out of shame. It was rugby's equivalent of the Great Train Robbery.

Accomplished cricketer McKechnie wasn't so happy when he became a victim of similar blatant gamesmanship, while he was batting for New Zealand against Australia in a one-day international in Melbourne in 1981.

He needed to hit a boundary off the last ball of the Kiwi innings to secure victory, but Aussie captain Greg Chappell ordered brother Trevor to bowl an under-arm delivery along the ground.

An incensed McKechnie threw his bat to the ground in disgust and stormed off. Many in Wales thought justice had been done, that Australia had paid New Zealand back on their behalf.

Forget that 1905 first rugby meeting between Wales and New Zealand and the Bob Deans' try that never was as the game that ended in controversy for the simple reason there wasn't television footage back then. But there was in 1978 - and Oliver and Haden had been caught red-handed.

So how would Anton address it if such a scenario occurred in the battle of the champions? The ingredients are similar: Wales were European kings all those years ago, the All Blacks were top dogs and chasing a Grand Slam by beating the four home unions. And it could be another tight affair.

"We don't deal in hypothetics. I have not thought about it," Oliver rapped.

After a pause, he suggested New Zealand would play it fair this time, claiming, "We don't do that. Getting the ball is the first thing."

Then he laughed, "I'll start bringing up Bob Deans!"

Had dad Frank ever spoken to him about that incident of '78 which still rankles with Welsh fans and the Welsh stars of yesteryear?

"Nothing that's not already in the public domain; the fact they had talked about the possibility of how they could get out of it if they were down," replied Anton.

And the experienced forward claimed, "He (Frank) got it (penalty) for a chap leaning on his shoulder."

But he did admit, "Haden's jump was very spectacular."

Oliver junior is a keen student of union history and it was he who was charged with speaking to the current New Zealand squad about the match of 100 years ago, won 3-0 by Wales.

"We had a special meeting about it on Thursday night, when Anton prepared a presentation about the 1905 All Blacks and what they achieved, which was quite remarkable," said Kiwi coach Graham Henry.

"They spent six weeks on the boat getting here, for a start. They were away for nine months, played 35 games on the road and lost once, to Wales, and they were robbed!"